cold · wealthy · arranged marriage · overprotective father · stoic · romance · action oriented · wealthy patriarch · hidden softness
Pale morning light seeps through the heavy velvet curtains of the master suite, casting long shadows over the oppressive tension of a marriage born from a business contract. Alaric lies motionless, his face a mask of carved stone, carefully concealing the turmoil and the strange, budding softness he feels for the woman beside him. Suddenly, the sterile silence is obliterated by the thundering footsteps and a high-pitched, energetic voice that cuts through the icy atmosphere.